Hispaniola Monkey
Encyclopedia
The Hispaniola Monkey is an extinct primate
found on the island of Hispaniola
. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century. The exact timing and cause of the extinction are unclear, but it is likely related to the settlement of Hispaniola by the Europeans in 1492 after discovery by Christopher Columbus
.
At first, the Hispaniola Monkey was thought to be a close relative of the Capuchin monkey
s, but later investigation showed that the similarities were due to convergent development
.
Horovitz and MacPhee developed the hypothesis
, first proposed by MacPhee et al., that all the Antillean monkeys (the others being the two Cuban monkey
species of genus Paralouatta and Xenothrix mcgregori
of Jamaica
) belonged to a monophyletic group linked most closely with modern Callicebus. They later assigned the Antillean monkeys to the tribe Xenotrichini – the sister group
of the tribe Callicebini with extensive anatomical comparisons and by extending their parsimony analysis using PAUP*. They maintained that the monophyly of the Antillean monkeys was still supported in the most parsimonious trees, but in slightly less parsimonious trees, Aotus appeared to be linked with Xenothrix.
These discoveries were documented in the Proceedings of the Royal Society in July 2010 (http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/07/20/rspb.2010.1249). Additionally, Brooklyn College issued a press release announcing the discoveries (http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/2223.htm).
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
found on the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
. The species is thought to have gone extinct around the 16th century. The exact timing and cause of the extinction are unclear, but it is likely related to the settlement of Hispaniola by the Europeans in 1492 after discovery by Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
.
At first, the Hispaniola Monkey was thought to be a close relative of the Capuchin monkey
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...
s, but later investigation showed that the similarities were due to convergent development
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
.
Horovitz and MacPhee developed the hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
, first proposed by MacPhee et al., that all the Antillean monkeys (the others being the two Cuban monkey
Cuban Monkey
Paralouatta is a platyrrhine genus that currently contains two extinct species of small primates that lived on the island of Cuba.The Cuban fossil primate, Paralouatta varonai was described from a nearly complete cranium from the late Quaternary in 1991. This cranium and a number of isolated teeth...
species of genus Paralouatta and Xenothrix mcgregori
Jamaican Monkey
The Jamaican Monkey is an extinct species of monkey first uncovered at Long Mile Cave in Jamaica by Harold Anthony in 1919...
of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) belonged to a monophyletic group linked most closely with modern Callicebus. They later assigned the Antillean monkeys to the tribe Xenotrichini – the sister group
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
of the tribe Callicebini with extensive anatomical comparisons and by extending their parsimony analysis using PAUP*. They maintained that the monophyly of the Antillean monkeys was still supported in the most parsimonious trees, but in slightly less parsimonious trees, Aotus appeared to be linked with Xenothrix.
Recent Discoveries
In July 2009, Walter Pickel (a cave diver for the ADM Exploration Foundation) found a Antillothrix bernensis skull. The skull, long bones and ribs were recovered by Walter Pickel and Curt Bowen (of the ADM Foundation) in October 2009 under the supervision of the Dominican Republic and Alfred L. Rosenberger (Brooklyn College).These discoveries were documented in the Proceedings of the Royal Society in July 2010 (http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/07/20/rspb.2010.1249). Additionally, Brooklyn College issued a press release announcing the discoveries (http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/2223.htm).